


To Propose (Again)

by Winterlynne_Norvic



Series: It started because of you (an Andreil mini series) [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: (from Andrew), Boys Kissing, Death Threats, Feels, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I don’t even have tags for this, Idiots in Love, M/M, Preparing for a, Rings, Road Trips, Shopping, rooftop, thise are wonderful tags actually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:15:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21838078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterlynne_Norvic/pseuds/Winterlynne_Norvic
Summary: Andrew and Neil prepare for a big fox gathering on the roof and talk circles around each other with a lot of feels, fluff and actual communication, and frankly I’m surprised Neil hasn’t been pushed off a roof yet.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: It started because of you (an Andreil mini series) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1483217
Comments: 7
Kudos: 111





	1. Hate is a Feeling

Andrew and Neil ended up on the roof as they usually did after a long practice. Even with Kevin gone and playing his first year of professional exy for the Rebels, their daily night practices had continued and so had their tradition of staying close to the court for at least a week or two of their summer. 

Peaceful as their road trip had been, the last few days since they returned had gone on to be increasingly and immensely agitating. Andrew would have stayed away longer, possibly until the very first day of university starting up again because honestly fuck coming back early for stickball practice. Except Neil had made him (he asked, and that’s all he ever had to do) and Andrew had began the 3 day trip home. All the original (and now graduated) foxes and their respective others were set to arrive tomorrow for a “small” family gathering. (The baby ones as they were referred to, wouldn’t arrive until the week after, thankfully.)

Neil had been looking forward to the event with a passion that almost rivaled his beloved exy when it had been scheduled months earlier. Even now he struggled to sit still, Neil’s favourite obsession failing to tire him out like Andrew had been counting on it to. His leg kept erratically bouncing between them and knocking into Andrew’s own making the temptation to push Neil off the roof grow with each stop and start .

Once again, Andrew had been let down by the damned sport, unsurprisingly. If only Andrew had something to take Neil’s mind of the time between now and tomorrow.

_ Oh wait. _

Neil’s leg hit Andrew’s with more force than before jolting him from his thoughts and for a brief irrational moment Andrew felt like Neil’s jittering was going to send him teetering off the edge. The panic caused by the image of himself in free fall had him gripping painfully onto the ledge and numbing his fingers with grounding sharp pinpricks. After a moment the fear withdrew but the unsettled feeling caused by it remained.

Neil would never make Andrew fall. 

Although, if Andrew were prone to poetics, one might say that he’d already fallen. Except Andrew never had the attention span for the whimsical indirect bullshit of poets, and while speaking words weren’t Andrew’s strong suit, he was direct, no strings attached, and he took them at their value especially when others didn’t..

The actions behind words mattered just as much, and Andrew had some words to uphold even though the next few moments were sure to physically pain him.

But first: “I’m going to push you off this roof, Junkie, if that leg hits me one more time.” He threatened.

Neil  _ hmmmed _ and while that signaled a following Neil-type response, he did at least stop fidgeting. For now. Andrew didn’t have much faith (or any actually) in the newfound stillness being around for long.

“You should come up with new death threats,” Neil told him. 

Andrew didn’t even bother attempting to respond to this new nonsense. Neil’s logic made very little sense quite a bit of the time, his entire being a conundrum designed to plague Andrew, and Andrew had never really been good at math. 

Solving Neil was a waste of time, Andrew didn’t need it, and he knew Neil would (try and fail to) explain himself without prompting anyway.

“Every time we’re on the roof and I say or do something, I’m told I’m going to be pushed off it and yet here I am.”

Point proven.

“It astounds me too.” Andrew said drolly.

“I don’t think you can push me off this roof.”

“I could.” Andrew  ~~_ pouted _ ~~ scowled? “I already have a place picked out for your body and a solid alibi.”

“I’m sure you do love, but I don’t think you want to.”

Andrew chose to momentarily ignore the endearment as to not derail their bickering. (Certainly not because Andrew was enjoying it, and it was entirely irrelevant that Neil finally looked peaceful for the first time this week.)

“Are you presuming to know what I think?”

“Never.” Neil denied with a grin. 

Andrew could recognize a lie when he saw one, and Andrew didn’t think that Neil had lied. It perplexed him, but as already proven, Neil always did.

“I could push you off this roof.” Andrew grouched.

“You’re welcome to try.”

“You’re a suicidal junkie.”

“And you’re stuck with me, although I disagree with being called suicidal. I call it trusting.”

“And I’m calling you stupid.”

“Does that make you more stupid for picking me then?”

“It must.” Andrew faux-mourned, blank faced (as usual) he pulled a tissue out of his jacket pockets to mime wiping away tears that weren’t there. Neil scoffed at his antics but he was smiling.

Andrew summoned his most deadened expression to bring out the other item in his pocket. A small box. A cigarette box, but with no cigarettes inside.

“I even bought these dumb rings for my idiot fiancé, for some reason he said yes when I asked him to marry me.”

Neil gasped at Andrew pulling out engagement rings, like he hadn’t already agreed to  _ marry _ Andrew weeks ago. Like he hadn’t gone  _ with  _ Andrew into a ring shop. ( _ With _ might be a little too generous, dragged by Andrew would be more accurate)

It reminded Andrew about the night of their unusual proposal all over again and he almost felt fond. It was ridiculous. The disaster of a human being in front of him was ridiculous.

“You bought us rings?”

“Yes moron, a kiss didn’t seal this one as easily as our other deal.”

“This isn’t a deal Andrew, this is a choice I made because you’re the only person I’d like to spend the rest of my admittedly longer than expected life with.”

“You’re so tragic.”

“Shakespeare could learn a thing or two from me.” He agreed. “Wonder if I could get him to write a play about my life.”

Andrew quietly despaired his loss of sanity. Not for the first time either, and at this point he’d grown used to it.

“Do you want the ring or not?”

Neil smiled and Andrew was blinded. Andrew found everything about Neil undeniably perfect, scars and lies, sharp edges and soft marshmallow inside, exy obsession and status of walking talking tragic disaster with a big mouth and attitude problem, Andrew had also chosen Neil to spend the rest of his life with too.

“Of course I do. I’ll always take whatever you’re willing to give me.”

Andrew let out an exasperated sigh but Neil could tell he wasn’t actually bothered, he could see the smile in Andrew’s eyes even if his face was uncooperative.

“Give me you hand then idiot.” Neil did, and ever so carefully, Andrew slid a delicate but solid silver band on Neil’s ring finger. The visible side had no detail, but Neil could feel ridges on the inside as it slid into place.

“What’s it say?” He asked Andrew.

Andrew didn’t even pretend to be annoyed at Neil for being able to feel the inscription he’d had added to the ring. “It spells  _ home _ in braille. Just in case you needed the reminder.”

Neil’s heart swelled and he couldn’t help the dopey smile on his face. “Just in case huh? Not because I am your home? Not because you’re mine?”

“I have no idea what you mean Josten.” Neil nudged him with his shoulder but Andrew was unmovable. 

“Soon to be Josten-Minyard I think, I like the sound of it. I’d also like to put that ring of yours on your fingers myself, yes or no, Minyard?”

Andrew glared and Neil could feel the fond irritation envelope him. “Yes.”

Neil plucked the second ring from the box and studied it to find that apart from its increased size, it matched Neil’s to a T, all the way down to its unusual braille inscription.

“Your hand?” And once Andrew had placed his hand in Neil’s, Neil gingerly slid the ring onto his finger, and once it was done he refused to let go.

The silence that fell after that was everything Andrew had been hoping for when he’d decided now would be a good time to propose (again) it was comfortable and quiet, and Neil being Neil couldn’t resist. “I told you that you couldn’t push me off this roof.” Way too smug for someone who didn’t want to be murdered.

Andrew scowled “I hate you.”

Neil joyfully shook his head smiling, “No you don’t.”

Andrew in a rare show of openness raised a brow, “Are you presuming to know how I feel now, Josten?”

“I’m not, although I’m surprised you’d admit to having such lowly things as feelings at all.”

Neil had him there.

“I have feelings.” Andrew acknowledged, and it only took 4 years to get him to say it.

“I know.” Neil smiled, Andrew promised himself he’d kiss the fuck out of it later.

“Hate is a feeling.” 

“I know.” Neil agreed to that as well.

“I hate you.” Andrew said again, as if he wasn’t still holding Neil’s hand, their fingers entwined and matching rings pressed together. As if that wasn’t a whole new reason to hate Neil.

“I know that too.” He said grinning, “But I also know something else. And I have proof.”

Andrew eyed Neil, although he had never stopped keeping his eyes on Neil, not since the day Andrew had slammed a racquet into his stomach. And everything that had happened since -bad and good (so much good)- it all started because of him.

Neil Abram Josten(-Minyard).

“What do you know?” Andrew finally asked.

"You like me," Neil raised their joined hands before Andrew could argue, the band's caught light from somewhere in the distance, illuminating them red like Neil's hair in the sun. 

"You like me, see? You put a ring on it."

When Andrew didn't ( _ couldn't _ ) respond Neil knew he was right. Even if Andrew had responded to deny it out loud until he was blue in the face, Neil would still know, and Andrew would still be lying.

"I  _ should _ toss you off this roof." He finally said.  _ It sounded like yes, and you’re right, and maybe even I hate loving you, but I do. _

"I offered earlier."  _ His grin said yes, I know, and maybe one day you won’t hate loving me the way I don't hate loving you. _

"You're horrible." Andrew told him.

True.

"You're amazing." Neil replied.

And also true.

"Shut up."

Neil laughed and Andrew felt something settle in him when he realized he'd get to hear that sound forever.

"Do I even need to tell you to make me?" 

He didn't, and Andrew didn't need further permission. After all, even Neil couldn’t talk if his mouth was busy pressed against Andrew's.


	2. The Prequel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This next part is a prequel to part 3 (chapter one) that ended up being ridiculously long despite originally having been a cut scene before i re wrote it. Enjoy Andreil being very....them....as they shop!

Andrew had dragged Neil out to go shopping in preparation for their summer road trip. They didn’t need much, but it never hurt to be prepared, even if Neil argued that whatever they needed could always be bought later, Andrew disagreed. 

It was one thing they always disagreed on, surprisingly. 

For Neil everything was always here and now and in the immediate future. The extent of his planning ahead usually spanned less than 2 weeks. Honestly, the last time he planned ahead had been the summer before his first year at Palmetto, planning to run away before they faced the ravens, and seeing how that turned out, it just showed that you could not plan for life... Or dumb outbursts on National television.

If one were to consider the day he thought he was going to die at his father's hands in Baltimore, you could also say that since he thought he would die, he planned ahead enough to release Andrew from their deal. Andrew might also stab Neil if he were to ever say that aloud.

Andrew on the other hand prepared for every worst case scenario including hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, heatwaves, snowstorms, droughts, and a variety of others. These plans did not exclude zombie apocalypses, alien invasions, apes taking over the planet, and robots rising up to decimate all humans, outlandish as those may be. 

He even worried about Neil being kidnapped by the fae (Andrew finally explained what those were in great and unnecessary detail to Neil who now worried that Andrew read to many fantasy novels)(Andrew may or may not agree with that but he’s not going to stop either) And it made Neil smile to know that Andrew worried about him even if he knew Andrew meant it as an insult simultaneously.

So they were shopping, getting an increasing amount of weird stares for the array of items in their cart (sunscreen, heavy winter blankets, pillows, long sleeved bathing suit top, condoms, enough sugary items to make a horse keel over, a case of water, a case of off brand Gatorade, single serve packets of instant coffee and hot chocolate, snack foods, flip flops, woollen socks, lighters and jiffy pop.) they were currently standing in the cosmetics and health care section, naturally attracting more attention. 

Andrew had been trying to decide between two different medical kits for the last few minutes and Neil’s attention had long since wandered away. Suffice to say, Neil did not feel like standing there any longer.

“Just put both in, Drew.” He huffed.

“We don't need both, Josten.”

“My track record says otherwise.”

Andrew shot him a look. “That’s just because you’re a dumb murder magnet who’s head has been hit with too many exy balls.”

“If you stopped aiming at my head I’d have more brain cells.”

“No, I don’t think you would. And regardless one is sufficient.”

“Then pick!”

Andrew did not pick.

Neil waited .

Neil remained bored.

Neil had an idea. (A relatively good one this time.)

“If you pick one now I’ll blow you in the Maserati.” He said.

Andrew threw both in the cart with haste, and (gently) elbowed Neil as he walked past for his stupid(ly pretty) grinning face.

…

While they did have considerably more fun in the Maserati, Andrew realized he’d forgotten (as much as someone with an eidetic memory can forget something, although in all fairness his thoughts  _ had _ been rather occupied) they returned to the mall for a few more items they needed.

Which is how Neil ended up sprawled on the ground after tripping over Andrew.

Andrew looked down at him, a rare occurrence for his pint sized boyfriend and Neil gave him a dazzling grin from the ground. 

“Get up.”

“But I fell for you.”

“No, you fell because of  _ you _ , how you can have so little grace is beyond me.”

“It’s the exy balls.” Neil replied solemnly. If they weren’t in public, Andrew might have kicked him just then.

“Why’d you fall moron?” Andrew asked Neil after helping him up.

“I was distracted.” Neil replied, and still distracted Andrew noticed.

Andrew followed Neil’s gaze to the the display windows of...a jewelry store. Neil didn’t care about jewelry, he barely even cared about his clothes as long as they suited their purposes and didn't display his scars.

Andrew glared at the moron beside him, fairly sure he knew what this was about.

“Do you want to go in?”

Neil shook his head no, but he didn’t move or look away. 

He scoffed, “Liar.”

“I’m not lying, it’s just… I’m not lying. I don’t want to go in but,” he trailed off uncertainty but Andrew already knew what he meant.

“Do you want something that is in the store?” He rephrased. This time Neil nodded although he still looked unsure to Andrew.

“Well, do you remember when we got engaged?”

Andrew stared at Neil unimpressed, “Vaguely.” He replies, mostly to get a rise out of Neil, instead Neil looks panicked and a little hurt. Andrew can practically see Neil backtracking and closing doors and shutting Andrew out for his conversational misstep. 

He laughs and it’s so fake that Andrew can’t help but glare. Logic is not currently (or ever really) with Neil. “Never mind then, what did we come back for anywa-”

Andrew cuts him off before he can get further. “No. Don’t do that. You don’t have my permission to shut me out. Now yes or no?”

“I don’t need permission,” he replies sourly, which is debatable, and sour or not he still replies “Yes.” after that.

Andrew does not waste time tugging Neil to him, crowds be fucked, and his own dislike for public displays of affection too, reassuring Neil took priority.

“I haven’t forgotten that you’re my fiancé, idiot.” That makes Neil suck in a breath and a soft little  _ oh _ sound that completely does not make Andrew melt inside comes out of him. 

“You’ve never called me that before,” Neil says, the wonder and awe completely and utterly not wrecking Andrew. (He still does not know how Neil can have this effect on him.)

“My mistake then.” He says evenly.

Neil shakes his head, “I’m not trying to get you to call me that, it’s just,” he shrugs and struggles to sort out his feelings and thoughts. They were both so careful with each other, careful not to push too much or show too much, careful not to want, but not wanting things is Andrew’s thing and Neil can’t have it.

“Not wanting things is  _ my _ thing, martyr. Stick to being an exy Junkie, it suits you better.”

Neil shakes his head with a small smile which Andrew considers an improvement. “Tell me?” He asks, because Andrew knew when not to push too.

“We-it’s just-I-I don't know...we never really talked about it after that night, and I know you don’t do things that you don’t want to do, but…”

_ But what if you’re just a pipedream? _

He doesn’t say it but Andrew hears it, and better, he of all people understands.

“We should have talked about it.” He agrees. Unfortunately, communication has never been a good skill among any of the foxes.

“Well, we’re doing that now at least?” 

Andrew considered that, “We are.” He paused, “In that case, yes I do remember the night we got engaged, even if I didn’t have an eidetic memory I would remember it, it was important to me, and it was the night my boyfriend became my fiancé. I have not changed my mind since then, I want to marry you, and I apologize for not making that clearer sooner, as well as for making you worry.”

“That was very mature and adult of you.” Neil choked out, definitely not emotional and definitely not laughing.

“Don’t you dare smile.” Andrew threatened, too late though it would have been ignored anyway. Neil was already shaking with the force of his snickering and giggles.

“Bee must have really cracked down on your communication skills.” 

“I hate you.”

“But imagine the foxes reactions! You sounded like a brochure.”

“457%”

“Awww, no.” Neil pressed his face into Andrew’s neck, shoulders still shaking. 

“You deserved that one.”Andrew told him, Neil unfortunately agrees with that decision.

They stand there like that, attracting stares in the middle of the mall-Neil with his shy awkwardness and shifty eyes that could pass for a street kid, and Andrew with his perpetually blank stare and  _ fight me _ exterior that frightened and warned off others-pressed together with zero regards for the other shoppers. An inconspicuous pair, Andrew and Neil were not, and the truly didn’t give a fuck about it.

“Thank you,” Neil said.

Andrew started at Neil and his eyes held the fondness that he wouldn’t show on his face.

“If you say you’re proud of me I’ll have to knife you.”

“How about I say you’re amazing instead?”

“We’ve already discussed this, and you know there is a roof waiting for you to be pushed off of it at home.”

Neil smiled softly at him, and Andrew didn’t know how he did it. He didn’t know how anyone could be  _ soft _ to him but then Neil came along and he’d deny it until he was six feet under and hell froze over, but maybe Renee’s fake god could do some good afterall.

“I like the sound of that.” He stated. 

Andrew stared at him blankly, “I thought you were done being suicidal, Junkie?”

Neil shook his head, “You said home Andrew, I’ve never had one of those before, but I like the sound of it.”

Andrew beheld his dumb fiancé and sighed. “Moron, I’m not surprised it took your oblivious ass this long to notice, but you had a home the second you shed your rabbit fur, decided to stay, and became a bleeding heart fox like everyone else on our thrice damned team.” 

Neils heart stuttered and he could only think _ Oh. _ He had a  _ home _ , and his brain didn’t know what to do with this not-new information. His tongue couldn’t bring itself to form words, but in the end he really didn’t need to because Andrew had already said all the right ones.

Andrew pushed his face away, officially done with Neil Josten ruining his reputation and the bullshit emotions trying to claw their way out of his throat. “Let’s go.” He said.

“Home?” Neil asked, like a child with a new favourite word.

Andrew almost laughed at that, “Nope, no way in hell. We’re going into that jewellery store and we’re going to look at rings while people wonder if the two short teenagers are going to steal something.” For good measure he latched onto Neil’s wrist so he couldn’t run away (the one time Andrew had tried to drag Neil in someplace by holding onto his sweater, Neil shimmied out of it and escaped. Andrew had learned after that.) 

“Then we can go home?” Neil asked.

“Sure.” he replied. Although to Andrew, he hadn’t left home in the first place. Afterall, he was always right beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed the prequel, as always you can visit me on tumblr at I-care-bout-things-too and feel free to drop a kudos or comment, they really encourage me and I’m always overjoyed to hear what you have to say.
> 
> Also I was wondering if anyone would possibly interested in more of this series, I’ve been considering possibly adding in a snippet of their road trip, or doing a fic of the foxes reunion, maybe both, tell me which you’d prefer, or any other things you’d like to see!

**Author's Note:**

> Can braille even be added to rings?? I don’t know but that’s not stopping me from saying it happened and no one can change my mind. Andrew is that extra okay, y’all have to see him for the disaster gay that he is 😭. 
> 
> Anyway hoped you guys enjoyed the fic and are excited for the next chapter! Feel free to drop a kudos or a comment I’d love to hear what you think!


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